News, observations and reader questions about the Sacramento Kings and the NBA.

January 29, 2012

If the Oklahoma City Thunder have all it takes to reach the NBA Finals is a mystery. The only player on the roster they count on that's been to the Finals is center Kendrick Perkins. And if the Thunder are going to win the West, it will be up to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

For now the Thunder looks like the best team in the NBA ... at least that's how I see it.

So here are my power rankings for you all to laugh at. Enjoy.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (16-3, LW, 2) - James Harden could be Sixth Man of the Year; some argue he should be starting anyways.
2. Miami Heat (15-5, Last week, 3) - Dwyane Wade is back, and no, Miami isn't better without him.
3. Chicago Bulls (17-5 LW 1) - Had their chances to win at Miami Sunday, came up short.
4. Los Angeles Clippers (11-6, LW 6) - Winning at Denver has to build confidence for team that has struggled on the road.
5. Denver Nuggets (14-6, LW 4) - Must be nice to have Andre Miller ready when Ty Lawson sprained his ankle in Sacramento.
6. Philadelphia 76ers (14-6, LW 11) - When the Sixers win, it tends to be in a blowout.b
7. Atlanta Hawks (14-6, LW 12) - Larry Drew's coaching has been remarkable thus far.
8. Dallas Mavericks (13-8, LW 13) - Dirk comes back, Jason Kidd goes down. Trainers are busy in Dallas.
9. Portland Trail Blazers (12-8, LW 15) - Consistency on the road remains a concern for the Blazers.
10. Houston Rockets (12-8, LW 16) - After winning 9-of-10, no one is talking about their slow start.
11. Indiana Pacers (13-6, LW 9) - Beat the Lakers only to be handled by the Celtics.
12. San Antonio Spurs (12-9, LW 7) - Their backups nearly won an overtime game at Dallas tonight.
13. Los Angeles Lakers (10-7, LW 8) - Have been wildly inconsistent on offense even though Kobe leads NBA in scoring.
14. Utah Jazz (11-7, LW 14) - Stood up to Jimmermania and escaped with a win last night.
15. Memphis Grizzles (10-9, LW 10) - Road trip hasn't been kind to Grizzlies, who have lost three in a row.
16. Boston Celtics (9-10, LW 21) - Starting to look like themselves, even if Rondo is still out.
17. Minnesota Timberwolves (9-11, LW 17) - Ricky Rubio's passing is one of the more fun things to watch this season.
18. Orlando Magic (12-8, LW 5) - Magic have been embarrassed in recent losses including one to New Orleans.
19. Milwaukee Bucks (8-11, LW 23) - Brandon Jennings will have to carry the Bucks with Andrew Bogut out.
20. Cleveland Cavaliers (8-11, LW 19) - Kyrie Irving scores the game winner in comeback win at Boston tonight.
21. Phoenix Suns (7-12, LW 18) - It will be hard for Steve Nash to make the playoffs again as a Sun.
22. New Jersey Nets (7-14, LW 27) - Deron Williams showed why he's an All-Star in last week's upset of Philadelphia.
23. Toronto Raptors (7-14, L 28) - Ended their seven-game losing streak.
24. New York Knicks (7-13, LW 20) - Even when Melo has been healthy, it's been bad in New York.
25. Golden State Warriors (6-14, LW 24) - Oakland is still one of the toughest places to play.
26. Sacramento Kings (6-12, LW 22) - Have lost four in a row since ending San Antonio's perfect home record.
27. Detroit Pistons (4-17, LW 24) - Have lost their last four games, too.
28. New Orleans Hornets (4-16, LW 29) - How long before the NBA finds a deal it likes for Chris Kaman?
29. Washington Wizards (4-16, LW 30) - Have on two games since coach Flip Saunders was fired.
30. Charlotte Bobcats (3-18, LW 26) - Owners of the longest current losing streak in the league, eight games.